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4 unusual facts about Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company


Clifford Earp

The Thames motor car was manufactured by the Thames Ironworks, Shipbuilding, and Engineering Company Ltd., of Greenwich.

Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company

In 1895 Hills helped to set up a football club for the Works' employees, Thames Ironworks F.C. and within their first two years they had entered the FA Cup and the London League.

The Thames Ironworks formed a works football team, called Thames Ironworks Football Club, This club later become West Ham United F.C., whose emblem of the crossed hammers represents riveting hammers used in the shipbuilding trade.

Rolt was also a timber merchant and a descendant of the Pett shipbuilding family.


Cormorant-class gunvessel

The first 6 ships were ordered from commercial yards (Money Wigram & Son, C J Mare & Co and J Scott Russell), with fitting out to be done in the Royal Dockyards at Chatham (first pair) and Woolwich (last 4).

Highflyer-class corvette

Highflyer was built at Leamouth Wharf by C J Mare & Co., while Esk was ordered from the Millwall yard of J. Scott Russell & Co. on the River Thames.

Velasco-class cruiser

The first two ships, Velasco and Gravina, built by the Thames Ironworks & Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd. at Leamouth, London in the United Kingdom, had fewer but heavier guns and were slightly faster than the next six, which were built at various yards in Spain.

West Ham station

In November 1897 Arnold Hills, the owner of the Thames Ironworks and Shipbuilding Company, whose football team Thames Ironworks FC (reformed in 1900 as West Ham United) played at the Memorial Grounds, secured an agreement with the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway to build a station at Manor Road.


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